Clamp or ligature for clarinets, saxophones, and similar instruments



Sept. 27, .l949. w. A. STALOWSKI 2,483,327

CLAMP OR LIGATURE CLARINETS, SAXOPHQNES, AND SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS Filed Feb. 17, 1948 mallard. Jhzlowals,

Patented Sept. 27, 1949 CLAMP OR LIGATURE 'IQB TGEAQJNETS, S-A=XOPHONES, AND SIMILAR INSTRU- "MENTS i'wauei-x: staiowskemiimeth? N; J. Application February 11;: 1M8, Serial No;.=;8,-948

lLlaim. (criticises) 1 if; Thisinventionrelats to aelamp orfligat ire for clarinets Saxophones and the" like, ahdparticularly pertains to a device for supporting the reed in such musical instruments.

An object of the invention is to provide a reed supporting means having a yielding action which will not collapse or become distorted in use.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a reed support for instruments of the above type having a portion which is solid and another portion which is of woven material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described for yieldingly supporting a reed, which is so constructed that no choking of the reed takes place during the playing of the instrument.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clamp having a rigid part and a flexible part, the rigid part including at least one bar that is connected to the flexible part.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a ligature for wind instruments which gives a yielding action against the reed of the instrument, while holding the reed firm against the lay of the mouthpiece.

A further advantage of the present invention consists in the provision of a device which permits the reed to vibrate more freely than in devices of this kind heretofore used, thereby producing a more resonant tone in the instrument.

Additional objects of the invention will be noted hereinafter throughout the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clarinet with a portion broken away, said clarinet being provided with a device of one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section through the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the semi-cylindrical portions of the ligature.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section through a modified form of the ligature.

It has been the practice heretofore to provide ligatures for clarinet or saxophone mouthpieces, but all such ligatures have been open to various objections. Some of them are too rigid and do not allow proper vibration of the reed. Others have a tendency to adversely affect the tone of the instrument when applied thereto. It has been determined that there must be yielding action that will obviate choking of the reed in th'e 'ligature, to insure proper tonal qualities. The present invention by the construction now to be described gives the instrument a true tone and otherwise overcomes these difiiculties.

In the drawings, the letter A indicates a clarinet of conventional design. This clarinet has a mouthpiece I, said mouthpiece having the usual collar 2 and tapered wall 3. The lay of the mouthpiece is provided with the usual reed 4. The surface 5, located between the collar and the tapered wall, is almost cylindrical, and this serves to support the ligature designated generally by the numeral 6, as seen in Figures 1 and 2.

The ligature is provided with semi-cylindrical portions 1, 8, these portions having abutted ends 9 and H! on which are mounted the bars ll, [2 which are permanently attached to the ends 9 and I0 respectively. Clamping screws I 3, having wings I4 and threaded portions [5, screw-threadedly engage the threaded openings It in the bars II and I2.

The opposite ends of the semi-cylindrical portions 1 and 8 are provided with securing members I! having elongated openings l8. Adjacent to the openings are a plurality of teeth I9 which may be forced into the said openings l 8 to engage the ends 2| of the fabric piece 20 to firmly hold these ends to the securing members.

In the modification shown in Figure 4, the bars ll, l2 are engaged by screws l3, having heads I4, the threads being indicated by the numeral 15'. These threads engage the threaded apertures it of the bars. Attached directly to the bars are the securing members l'l' having elongated openings similar to the openings l8 shown in Figure 3, for firmly holding the ends of the fabric piece 20, these ends being indicated by the numeral 2|.

One Of the principal features of the invention is the rigid part comprising the bars and semicylindrical portions connected to the fabric piece 20, which, it will be noted, is of woven or knitted fabric as shown in Figures 1 to 3, or the fabric piece connected directly to the bars, as shown in Figure 4. It will be understood that the term fabric piece includes flexible material such as fabrics and woven material.

The rigid parts of the ligature may be made of metal, but it will be understood that some of 3 them, such as the semi-cylindrical portions, may be made of other material, such as plastic material.

In the preferred form of the invention, the fabric piece extends substantialy half-way of the circumference of the mouthpiece of the clarinet or other wind instrument of this type. It will be understood, however, that the fabric piece may extend less than half of the distance around the mouthpiece, or it can extend substantially all the way around the mouthpiece, as illustrated in Figure 4, although it should extend half-way around the mouthpiece as shown in Figure l. The improved results obtained by the use of this invention are due primarily to the use of fabric, combined with the rigid parts indicated in the several figures.

While I have shown and described my invention with some degree of particularity, it will be understood that other modifications and changes may be used. I therefore do not wish to be limited and restricted to the details shown and described but only to the extent set forth in the appended claim. p

I claim:

A ligature for musical wind instruments comprising a pair of semi-cylindrical substantially rigid portions adapted to partially embrace the mouthpiece of a wind instrument, fastening means for connecting said portions to each other at one of their ends, a fabric piece of flexible woven material of semi-cylindrical shape adapted to partially surround said mouthpiece, means at the opposite ends of said portions for rigidly engaging said fabric piece, said last named means including members having openings for the reception of the ends of said fabric piece, and teeth on said means engaging said fabric piece and for retaining said fabric piece in place on said portions.

WALTER A. STALOWSKI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 555,561 Cadwallader Mar. 3, 1896 1,759,611 Galiz May 20, 1930 

